Zelda is a playable character in the Brawl mod Project M. She was one of the most buffed characters from Melee and Brawl, going from being a bottom tier character in both Melee and Brawl to a formidable fighter that can be played without need of Sheik.

Zelda is placed 38th out 41 on the officialtier list, toward the bottom of the D tier. This is a slight drop over her 22nd out of 26 placement in Melee and a marginal improvement over her Brawl standing as 37th out of 38. Her tools are strong enough to make her a competent fighter, and numerous top placings by Zhime have shown her great potential.

In both Melee and Brawl, Zelda was plagued for being tall, floaty, and slow on the ground and in the air. Additionally, she was hampered by poor approach options. In Project M, these weaknesses are addressed by significantly buffing Zelda overall.

Zelda excels at defensive gameplay, being able to reflect projectiles with Nayru's Love, her neutral special. This move can also be used for spacing. Zelda's side special, Din's Fire, is a fiery, guided projectile that explodes after a few seconds or on contact. This move can be used to force opponents to move closer to Zelda or as a combo finisher. Din's Fire does not enforce helplessness like it did in Melee and Brawl, meaning the move can be safely used in the air. Other moves that Zelda can use for spacing include her jab, which has disjointed hitboxes, and her neutral aerial, which is good for aerial spacing. Her recovery, Farore's Wind, is versatile in that it sends Zelda a good distance in any direction.

Despite being good for defense, Zelda is also a good offensive character, able to utilize combos and possessing many powerful finishers as well. Zelda's most notable finishers, her Lightning Kicks, cause high damage and knockback when sweetspotted. Although difficult to sweetspot, Zelda's down aerial is an effective meteor smash. Her up tilt, up aerial, and back throw are also KO moves at high percentages.

Although she is much better character than either her Melee or Brawl iterations, Zelda still has many weaknesses. Her recovery can be easily prevented by proper edgehogging. Zelda's light weight causes her to be very vulnerable to many finishing moves. Lastly, while the return of Melee's physics make Zelda faster, she is still slower than the majority of the roster. In earlier version of Project M, Zelda was considered by many to be a powerhouse due to her capability to use three quickly-moving Din's Fire projectiles at once. In Project M Version 3.5 and onward, Din's Fire was nerfed so that only one projectile can be used at a time.

Zelda was immensely buffed from Brawl to Project M. Her mobility has been improved and many of her attacks are faster. Many of her moves also have improved KO potential such as back throw and the back hit of her down smash. The changes to PM's mechanics also greatly benefit her as they improve her combo potential and her overall endurance is higher. Lastly, Transform is much faster and Sheik much like in Melee is a more effective character.

She did she a few nerfs however. Her down tilt has more ending lag and can no longer trip opponents. Some of her KO moves such as down smash's front hit and her Lightning Kicks were weakened while some of her moves such as up smash, up aerial and neutral aerial are less reliable.

Overall, she is much more effective and viable than she has ever been however, her buffs were not enough to keep up with most of the cast resulting in her remaining one of the weaker characters in the game.

Zelda's traction is higher (0.054 → 0.8) though it is still lower than in Melee. This makes it easier for her to punish out of shield compared to Brawl while giving her a longer wavedash than in Melee.

However, her higher traction also limits the length of her new wavedash.

Zelda's air speed is slower although the difference is negligible (0.987 → 0.98).

Up tilt deals more damage (11% → 15% (clean), 13% (late)) giving it more kill power despite its decrease knockback (65 (base), 105 (scaling) → 40/110 (clean), 30/120 (late)). It also has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 10-24 → 8-28), it has less ending lag (frame 48 → 40) and sends opponents at a more vertial angle (70° → 75°/85°). It now has a strong early hitbox and a weaker late hitbox, but the late hitbox is still very strong.

Up tilt now renders Zelda's moving arm invulnerable during the attack.

Due to having a strong hit and a late hit, the strong hit of up tilt has a shorter duration (frames 10-24 → 8-16).

Down tilt has increased damage (7% (leg), 8% (body) → 10/11%).

If Zelda uses down tilt again after connecting with it, the down tilt has more ending lag (frame 25 → 30). Down tilt also has a shorter duration (frames 5-11 → 5-8) and can no longer trip opponents.

Forward and up smashes link much better; while the latter uses its superior Brawl format with reduced hitlag, the former has more favorable angles for the multiple hits, both hitting faster and with fewer freeze frames. Forward smash also has a reduced SDI multiplier (0.5x → 0.25x) making it more difficult to escape from.

Up smash has smaller hitboxes, and can no longer hit some grounded characters. It also has a higher SDI multiplier (0.1x → 0.25x) and the final hit deals less damage (5% → 4%) although its knockback growth was compensated (210 → 240).

Down smash has lower knockback scaling for the front-facing kick (95 → 90). It also has a shorter duration (frames 4-6 → 4-5). Both hits also send opponents at a higher angle (20° (both) → 30° (front), 25° (back) making it less effective as a semi-spike.

Neutral aerial has larger hitboxes and does more damage if all hits connect (13% → 15%). It also has less ending lag (frame 50 → 42) and it now has a landing hit. The final hit also has increased knockback (40 (base), 130/120 (scaling) → 15/175).

Neutral aerial's linking hits can now be DI'd due to having a higher SDI multiplier (0x → 0.5x), making some Brawl combos that involved landing to interrupt the move no longer guaranteed. It also has more landing lag (12 frames → 18) though this is compensated with the reintroduction of L-canceling.

Up aerial has an early hitbox at the base of her fingertips which starts earlier (frame 14 → frame 10) and deals 5% electric damage, linking into the explosion itself. The explosion also deals more damage if it hits at the center (15% → 17%) and it has a longer duration (frames 14-16 → 10-17). It also has less ending lag (frame 55 → 49) and it auto cancels earlier (frame 56 → 38) allowing it to auto cancel out of a short hop like it could in Melee.

However, the new sourspot of the explosion is weaker in both damage (15% → 14%) and knockback (30 (base), 102 (scaling) → 5/115). Up aerial also has more landing lag (22 frames → 25).

The linking hitbox of up aerial can be DI'd, which may cause opponents to fall out of range of the explosion making the move less reliable.

Down aerial has also been made to sweetspot on grounded opponents (18%) in addition to aerial opponents, and does more damage (16% → 20%) and has more knockback scaling (90 → 117). The sweetspot is a powerful KO move on a grounded opponent and it has less ending lag (frame 45 → 40).

Down aerial has a shorter duration (frames 14-24 → 14-17) and has slightly more landing lag (21 frames → 24). It also auto-cancels one frame later (frame 40 → 41).

Both forward and back Lightning Kicks are based off their Melee design with larger sweetspots and have more active frames (1 frame → 4) although the sweetspot now decays over time. They also have less ending lag (frame 40 (forward), frame 36 (back) → 36/33) allowing forward aerial to be performed twice in a short hop and they also have landing lag (22 frames → 18). The sourspots also deal more damage (4% → 8%).

Down throw deals more damage (10% → 14%) and is drastically faster. The "zapping" hitbox will launch other opponents away with high base knockback, making it more useful in team battles/free-for-all/vs. Ice Climbers.

Up taunt's magical swirl and side taunt's fireball now both have damaging hitboxes.

Nayru's Love is land cancelable after the attack frames end, and while the ground version has no such cancel, it possesses improved invulnerability. The invulnerability of the ground version overlaps with the first attacking frame, reducing the likelihood of unfavorable trades.

Nayru's Love no longer sends opponents based on the direction Zelda is facing.

Zelda has a different voice clip when performing Nayru's Love.

The linking hits now draw opponents in from both sides.

The aerial version of Nayru's Love has no invulnerability.

The Love Jump AT (jumping and using Nayru's Love immediately after getting hit with enough knockback, making Zelda rise while reflecting projectiles) from Brawl no longer works. Instead, Zelda will be sent sideways, which is far less useful for recovery.

Din's Fire functions significantly differently, loosely based on Viola's magical orb from Soul Calibur V.[1] Upon releasing a fireball, instead of quickly exploding it stops and hangs in the air for ~3.5 seconds before exploding and returning to Zelda. Both the standing "mine" and the returning "wisp" will inflict damage upon making contact with a foe. If a foe runs into or hits the "standing mine" with a hitbox, it will return to Zelda without exploding. In addition to these changes, the control of fireballs is massively increased. Using Transform will also force it to explode. Zelda can manually detonate a traveling or standing Din's Fire by inputting side-special again. This explosion is significantly weaker than the timed explosion or the transform explosion, but is excellent for comboing. It also no longer puts Zelda into free fall if used in the air. The timed explosion deals a high damage (10-25%).

The regular explosion of Din's Fire deals less damage (8-16% → 7-12%) although its increased utility gives it more damage potential.

Zelda can input B at any time in the middle of the "invisible" portion of Farore's Wind to cancel the move early, giving Zelda the ability to shorten her teleport, similar to Fox Illusion and Falco Phantasm. Interrupting the teleport removes the reappearance hitbox. If canceled on the ground, the move has significantly less endlag, giving Zelda a much-needed tool both in neutral and to chase down far away opponents.

Zelda can now grab ledges during Farore's Wind's startup. She can also act out of Farore's Wind much sooner improving it's recovery potential.

The beginning hitbox of Farore's Wind, when used in the air, sends foes at 40 degrees, instead of straight up, which is much more useful for edgeguarding.

Zelda now has a voice clip when using Aerial Farore's Wind (the same voice clip used for her full hop).

Farore's Wind's reappearance hitbox comes out on frame 2 of reappearance, rather than frame 1.

Up smash's lifting hitboxes fine tuned to not throw certain characters out of the move after several connected hits. The move also has another linking hit, dealing 1% more damage.

Lightning Kicks' flub damage increased slightly to be closer to Melee's, along with adjusted knockback to compensate for this. Critical sweetspots were slightly increased in size to offer more consistency, while still being tiny (2/3 the size of Rest). Non-critical electric hits have increased damage/knockback, closer to their Melee iterations.

Critical sweetspot of back aerial has slightly more base knockback. Non-critical forward aerial's hitboxes have slightly lower launch angle, similar to the critical hit, but not quite as potent.

Up aerial's sweetspot size minutely increased, while the weak electric hit was slightly improved, and graphical effects/sound effects were edited for more accuracy.

Down aerial has somewhat increased shield damage and a bigger sweetspot, and more knockback growth against grounded targets. Sourspot damage was also increased slightly.

Forward and down throws' damage increased slightly.

Din's Fire's flashing graphics loop one more time than previously. Minimum time to set is slowed down, and set animation has its lag increased to deter walling. The explosions are significantly larger and deadlier.

Up smash's IASA frames are no longer increased from those of Melee, but equal to them.

Neutral attack's launching hitbox has a higher angle, along with slightly higher base knockback and less knockback growth.

Neutral aerial inflicts a consistent damage output depending on number of hits rather than their placement.

Graphical effects on grabs adjusted.

Din's Fire's set fireballs have smaller hitboxes, but these activate sooner after setting the projectile.

Transform's startup is faster, and its intangibility was adjusted slightly, but its interruptibility also occurs slower.

Din's Fire functionality changed from 3 fireballs that explode after a time to 1 fireball that returns after explosion.

The fireball now decreases in speed as it increases in size, rather than the other way around. This property is maintained as it returns to Zelda.

New function implemented. Pressing the side special button while a fireball is set stationary will allow it to return to Zelda. The time it takes for the fire to return and the amount of damage depends on how far Zelda launched it; if no action is taken after it is set, the fire will automatically return to her itself later.

The minimum time it takes to place a fireball has been decreased.

The number of fireballs that can be on the screen at one time has been reduced from 3 to 1, and the total distance they can reach has been decreased

Zelda sticks her hand out in front of herself and shoots small magical sparks. Disjointed with decent range, but very slow for a neutral attack.

Forward tilt

14% (tip), 13% (hand), 9% (body)

Zelda swipes her arm horizontally in front of herself with a boost of magic power. The attack has moderate knockback and sends enemies behind Zelda, potentially comboing into other moves. The tip hitbox has lower knockback than the hand hitbox, facilitating combos to some degree. Can be angled.

Up tilt

15% (clean), 13% (late)

Zelda waves her arm above her head in an arc with a boost of magic power. Zelda's right arm is intangible while the hitboxes are out. Strong vertical KO power, even for the late hitbox.

Down tilt

10% (leg), 11% (body)

Zelda crouches and kicks her foot in front of her, hitting opponents low. This attack can meteor smash opponents who come in contact with Zelda's body, and grounded opponents who come in contact with her foot. If Zelda attempts another down tilt after connecting one on an opponent, she will suffer from additional lag after the move. Against opponents at high percents, down tilt has weak vertical knockback and can potentially combo into KO moves.

Zelda shoves her arms in front of her and pushes foes in front of her away with a boost of magic power. Sweetspot is located close to her body. The sweetspot can start combos or can kill at very high percents.

Forward smash

1% (hits 1-4), 13% (hit 5)

Zelda charges magic energy in her right hand and flashes it in front of her, hitting opponents multiple times before knocking them away. Relatively low ending lag, with large range. However, it can be escaped from with good SDI.

Up smash

1% (hits 1-11), 4% (hit 12)

Zelda charges magic energy in her left hand and waves it above her head twice, hitting opponents multiple times before knocking them away with reasonably strong knockback. This move can be SDI'd out of, but it is difficult. Combos into itself or other moves at low percents, depending on the opponent.

Down smash

12% (front), 13% (back)

Zelda quickly kicks on both sides of herself, knocking opponents away. This attack comes out very quickly and knocks enemies away horizontally at a low angle. The back hit is stronger than the front hit in terms of both damage and knockback. Zelda's leg is intangible while performing the move.

Neutral aerial

2% (hits 1-5), 5% (hit 6), 3% (landing)

Zelda waves her arms around her, hitting opponents multiple times around her before knocking them away. Relatively fast startup.

Zelda quickly kicks in front of her, dealing great damage and knockback if the opponent is hit at the beginning of the move and just the tip of her boot strikes the opponent. Otherwise, it's extremely weak and doesn't KO until over 300% at the sourspot. Sends opponents at a slightly lower angle than the back aerial.

Zelda quickly kicks behind herself, dealing great damage and knockback if the opponent is hit at the beginning of the move and just the tip of her boot strikes the opponent. Is slightly faster than her forward air but deals less damage at both the sweetspot and sourspot, and sends at a slightly higher angle. This is Zelda's fastest aerial at 5 frames of startup.

Up aerial

5% (hit 1), 17% (explosion center), 14% (explosion sides)

Zelda brings her arm above her head and releases a fiery explosion above her head, dealing great knockback. Has a hitbox at startup that sends the enemy upward into the explosion afterward. The center of the explosion deals more damage and knockback, and launches at a perfectly vertical angle.

Down aerial

18% (clean ground), 20% (clean air), 8% (late foot), 9% (late leg)

Zelda stomps her foot below herself. Like her forward & back aerials, if this hits within the first couple of frames with the foot, it causes a pause in the opponent's movement, then deals high damage and meteor smashes the opponent straight downwards very fast. If the opponent is grounded, it does slightly less damage and causes the enemy to bounce off the ground and into the air, with very high knockback.

Grab

—

Pummel

3%

Discharges magic into the enemy. A very slow pummel.

Forward throw

10%

Magically twirls her opponent and throws them forward. A very fast throw.

Back throw

11%

Magically twirls her opponent behind herself and tosses them. Strongest knockback out of all her throws.

Up throw

8%

Magically twirls her opponent above her head, then releases them upward.

Down throw

3% (hits 1-4), 2% (throw)

Throws the opponent on the ground and shocks them repeatedly with magical bursts. The enemy will be launched upwards behind Zelda. While it is easily DI'd away to prevent any follow-ups, it has very good follow-ups if the opponent DIs wrong, and does very high damage for a throw. At the edge of the stage, she can set up an early edgeguard.

Floor attack (front)

6% (hit 1), 8% (hit 2 leg), 6% (hit 2 body)

Zelda kicks in front and then behind her.

Floor attack (back)

6%

Zelda kicks in front and then behind her.

Floor attack (trip)

5%

Essentially the same as her other two floor attacks.

Edge attack (fast)

7%

Zelda climbs up and swings her legs in a circular motion, while pulling herself up.

Edge attack (slow)

8% (arm), 11% (tip)

Zelda raises up slowly, and after a short pause, smacks the enemy with the back of her hand.

Creates a crystal that slashes enemies and reflects projectiles. Has a few frames of invincibility near the beginning of the move when used on the ground. When used in the air, it has no invincibility but the lag can be cancelled if Zelda lands after the hitboxes are done.

Allows Zelda to place a fireball on the field, which can damage opponents upon contact. After a few seconds or if Side+B is pressed again, the fireball explodes and returns as a "wisp" to Zelda, dealing damage to opponents it touches along the way. If an opponent makes contact with the fireball before the initial explosion, it will do damage but not explode, but still become a "wisp". The "wisp" can be detonated with Side+B, creating a small explosion before it resumes travelling back to Zelda. The more time Zelda spends placing the fireball, the bigger and stronger the ending explosion will be, and the more slowly the "wisp" travels.

Teleports in a given direction, dealing damage at both ends. Press B while teleporting to shorten the teleport but lose the ending hitbox. With good timing and positioning, Zelda can teleport onto platforms and cancel most of the ending lag.

Draws a large bow and sets an arrow. During this time, any characters in her line of sight will flinch. A second later, the Light Arrow is released, dealing significant damage and likely KO'ing the struck characters. Goes through walls.

Zelda now has an alternate costume that is more closely based off her appearance in Melee, which itself was based off her appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Oddly, the Brawl color palette which references the design featured in the alternate costume stays, despite Ganondorf's Ocarina Of Time based palette swap being replaced with the default color for his alternate costume, which is again based off of his Ocarina design.

Two players can use the same costume for Zelda (and Sheik) as long as one chooses Zelda and the other chooses Sheik with the corresponding palette swap (i.e. default costumes or team colors). This is likely an oversight as a result of being able to choose Zelda and Sheik separately. Upon exiting the results screen and going back to the character select screen, one of the character portraits will use a different alternate costume instead.